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How long did you believe in Santa?

How long did you believe in Santa? The website CapturetheMagic.com lets you upload a photo of your living room and then add a stock image of Santa into the scene. Voila! Proof for your little ones that Santa exists. How cute is that?!

Did you believe in Santa when you were growing up? Did you leave out cookies and notes?

My twin sister and I found out that Santa wasn't real when we were five years old. Our mother told us (she outed the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy as well) because she was tired of lying to us. I still haven't quite forgiven her. It was several years until any of my friends found out. Quite a few of them believed until they were ten years old, and I regret not having more of those magical years, even though I see where my mom was coming from. When I have kids, I think I'm going to keep up the charade as best as I can. It's sad to stop believing.

My babysitter spilled the beans when I was about 7 years old. I asked my older brother if it was true, and he was kind enough to tell me to ask Mom. When my mom got home, I asked her if it was true, and then I asked her if Jesus was fake too.

I never believed in Santa. (My parents didn't agree with it.) I always felt sad for my friends whose parents were lying to them. Now, I realize that their parents were just trying to make the holidays seem magical for them, but I had (and still have) very magical holidays without believing in Santa. To each her own.

I totally believed in Santa, and actually realized he wasn't real by finding out about the tooth fairy first. I found all of my teeth that my mom had saved (in 2nd or 3rd grade I think) and although she tried to say that the TF gave them to her to save, it didn't really make sense and the Easter Bunny and Santa fell apart shortly thereafter. But it is fun and magical for a while. Thanks for sharing the site!

I had older siblings so I prided myself on not believing from a young age, I was too clever for such silly things. Then when I was around 7 I woke up on Christmas eve to find Father Christmas in my room filling my stocking, woah!Aren't parents fine things? The lengths they will go to never ceases to amaze me.

I don't remember how old I was, but I remember sneaking out of my room and eavesdropping on my parents and grandma talking on Christmas Eve night. She was telling them she couldn't believe they let me believe in Santa. I'd already had an idea he wasn't real, but was crushed to hear her say it. I'll always believe in the magic of the holidays, though!

My brother and I left out cookies and milk for Santa until I was about 8 years old. I remember when I was little going to bed Christmas Eve night and thinking that if I had to get up in the middle of the night to go the bathroom, that I should be very, very quiet so Santa wouldn't see me. I was a full-on believer and miss having that magic of Christmas still in me!

I was 11 or 12 when I learned that Santa wasn't real...but when Easter came around, I totally still believed in the Easter Bunny...I hadn't realized that if Santa Clause wasn't 'real' that the Easter bunny wouldn't be either! lol

Santa made Christmas just soo exciting I could barely sleep the night before!! Would someone mind sharing why their parents wouldn't agree with telling your kids about Santa? (like Allison above). Is it just about being disappointed when they find out the truth? I'm just curious because it was always so much fun!

I was about 9 I think. My sister is two-and-a-half years younger than me and believed in Father Christmas until she was 11. When she found out she was very upset - not because he wasn't real, but because she was worried about how sad I'd be!

Even though we left cookies and notes out, from an early age my parents tried to teach me that Santa was a spirit, like God-the Christmas spirit-who isn't physical, he lives inside everyone during Christmas time. That way, I never really stopped believing in Santa!

I believed until I was I think 7 years old. Somebody at school told everyone that the Weihnachtsmann was not real. I was so angry about him and couldn't believe it that I went to the director of our elementary school to ask him whether that was true. He than told me that the Weihnachtsmann visits him every year so I was a bit calmed down.I still think that it was very nice of the director to tell that the Weihnachtsmann was real.

In Germany Santa Claus comes at the 6th of December. At the night of the 24th december christ child is coming and brings the presents. It is pictured like a angle kind of figure and does not have anything to do with santa claus. I don't remeber how old I was - but I had a room together with my older sister. My dad thought I was sleeping when he told her that it doesn't exist. I wasn't supposed to hear... what a shock for me!

What a great idea! I believed in Santa until I was 7 and heard a teaser for the news where the anchor was talking about Santa's appearance at a local parade. At the end she said "...maybe he is real!". My little mind was blown and I had an epic meltdown and called my mom a liar (sorry, Mom!).

Have you tried the Send a Call From Santa by Google? It's totally customizable and fun! I sent one to my husband last night. :) http://www.sendacallfromsanta.com/

My brother told me when I was 3 that Santa wasn't real, I decided he was lying. I kept believing until I was 8 and counted the number of carrots we had on Christmas Eve and the number on Christmas morning.BUSTED!www.everydayemily.com

I beleived in Santa till 6th grade! And I was so sad and disappointed when I found out the truth. He would leave us letters and trails out the back door, footprints on the floor, etc. So much fun though!

Growing up we never believed that Santa brought us gifts but I remember thinking he was a real person. My parents had us believe that angels brought us our gifts. We'd hide in the basement with my dad and my mom would ring a wind chime calling the angels and then put the gifts under the tree. We would then run up the stairs and "watch the angels fly away" from the living room window. I was actually terrified now that I think about it but it was sooo much fun!

I believed for a very long time - my parents have always tried to keep everything magical for me and my brother, and I could just never bring myself to believe it was possible for Father Christmas to really be able to bring me what I asked for in my letter EVERY SINGLE YEAR! (Clearly my parents knew me very well). I knew in the back of my head it wasn't real, and that was confirmed when I was snooping for presents and found all the stocking fillers - that'll teach me not to be nosey! Even now, my whole family go along with it anyway - I'm 22 and my brother is 26, and it's just a lot more fun. I once did stockings for my parents and all day they were going, 'Ooh I'm going to read the book Father Christmas brought me!'

I believed that Santa brought us our gifts until I was about 10, and then until age 11 or 12, I thought he was a real person, but just acting as a benevolent CEO/figurehead of Christmas.

My mom told my brother and I that elves were watching us so we had to be good, otherwise they would report back to Santa. So, we started leaving little pieces of food eveywhere around our house to bribe the elves. My mom kept finding little pieces of old food everywhere!

I believed till I was 8, when I asked for a Madame Alexander doll for Christmas. She came with her tags, which said "made with care by Madame Alexander"--so I asked my mom why it would say that, if Santa's elves really made it. She totally missed the opportunity to string me along for a few years longer by telling me sometimes the elves needed help. She told me Santa, the Easter bunny AND the tooth fairy were not real. It was heartbreaking, and honestly, I hated that damn doll afterwards!

my mom never told me one way or the other. She told me the story and kind of let me decide for myself. I was a very logical child (still with a crazy imagination). We lived in southern california, no fireplace. so when she said he comes down the chimney i said "we don't have one. But i still get presents..." and kinda figured it out on my own. But I would pretend some times. Pretending was more than enough for me.

My best friend is pregnant with her first, and said that her kids won't believe in Santa. She says its her money buying the gifts, she wants the credit! Hah!

I believed in Santa till I was 8 or 9. That is when I caught my parents playing the little elves who were supposed to be checking on us and making sure that we were being good.

What you have to understand is that I'm from Estonia and that means very different Christmas traditions.

From first of December till the morning of 24th Santa's elves leave you treats in your slippers to show you that they are watching and making sure that you are good and doing no mischief. Your slipper is empty when you were bad, or as I later learnt, when your parents forget.

The most important day is the Christmas eve. That is when Santa comes. If you have uncles who can do a good disappearing acts then that works. If you don't and you have money then you hire a Santa, but if you can't spare the money then you ask the neighbours to leave a potatosak full of presents behind your door at an agreed time and ring the bell and tell the kids that Santa was busy.

Also children here have to sing a song or read a poem to get their presents from Santa.

And we leave our wish lists for Santa in our slippers so that the elves can take them to him.

So anyway, my parents got caught sneaking sweets in my slippers when I was around 8 or 9. After that I didn't believe in Santa, but I didn't tell my parents. Was too afraid that I wouldn't be getting any more sweets.

We wrote letters and left cookies and milk out, and in the morning we would have letters back from Santa and the cookies were gone! The real magical kicker, though, was that outside on the front porch were the remnants of carrots that the reindeer had eaten! That was always my favorite part.

The most wonderful Santa story is The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum (who also wrote The Wizard of Oz). It makes you look at Santa in a whole new light and I highly recommend it!

I did believe in Santa until I was probably around 8. I left out cookies and a note.. the whole deal. In my house, Santa would even write back to us!

I feel so torn about whether or not I like the idea of telling kids that there's a Santa! I remember when I found out that he wasn't real, I felt so confused by the fact that my mother had tricked me! Like, "why would she do such a thing?!" Is the excitement, magic and mystery worth finding out that your parents had lied to you about something so huge for all those years? What do you think?

I demanded the truth at the grocery one evening when I was six. My mother, never a good liar, felt compelled to give up the ghost. I was devastated in the fruit section and numb by the time we reached the dry goods.

I believed in Santa until I found the Santa wrapping paper in a closet. It was a year later, but I still remembered it. I think I was in 3rd grade at the time, and it was devastating. After that, Christmas was never quite as magical.

I have never heard of this website but the fact that you can upload a picture of your living room and it will place Santa into the scene is priceless! I can so see someone adding this picture to their family album or for any kids who doubt that Santa exists, lol! Thanks for sharing the info on this great website :)

I think I was 4 or 5, pretty young. I remember rushing to my dad and just announcing to him that I was okay with it but that I was over Santa. Had to play along for a few more years until my sister was privy to it, but that was actually more fun :)

I did until I was 10. My parents would go out of their way to buy presents that we wouldn't even think of asking for. My mom would make sure that the wrapping she used for Santa was unique and would find a dumpster for the extra so we wouldn't find it lying around the house. After my little sister was born when I was 10, she got a little sloppy and I confirmed it when I came across presents that would later be from Santa. I didn't tell my siblings, I wanted it to last a little longer for them. I wasn't mad at my mom for it, she was just trying to make things magical and it was.

I was 8. I was getting teased in school for still believing and my mom broke it to me gently so I wouldn't get singled out anymore. I was really more scared that if I stopped believing we wouldn't get presents anymore!

My brother & I *knew* Santa didn't exist all our lives but we would always stay up late JUST IN CASE he was real. I think our hope for a real santa was so great that it led to our believing, despite knowing the truth. Weird, I know! I think we stopped staying up late for the potential for santa around 10 or 11.

Until I was eight when my dad took me to the bathroom (I don't know why the bathroom) and told me the truth. Unfortunately, I had a younger sister so I couldn't spill the beans. And that trend continued for another eight years, until my baby sister discovered the truth at around four years old. I still believe in elements of Santa.

Well, I never believed in Santa but I believed in the Easter bunny for YEARS. Somehow my dad was able to put our Easter baskets outside the front door, ring the door bell, and then appear at the bottom of the stairs at the same time as my brother and I. And we would all be so "surprised". I still have no idea how he did it.

I don't remember when I stopped believing, but I do remember recognizing my dad's handwriting on Santa's notes. He used to do the most elaborate stuff tho. One year I asked how Santa got in our house without a chimney. "Santa" left a big golden key around the front door knob. It was obviously a magic key. Another year I asked if I could have a sleigh bell, and "Santa" left a huge string of vintage sleigh bells. Another year, I asked if I could have a piece of reindeer fur, and low and behold there was a patch of fur taped to my note! I still don't know how dad pulled that off, but man was it magical! :)

i kind of still do. maybe because i like the christmas movies where santa needs people to believe in him and in the end everyone, even the most cynical person, believes again. and also, the polar express was my favorite christmas book!

My parents made my brother and I big believers. One year my brother desperately wanted a new bike and on Christmas Eve my parents lifted and secured his new bike onto our roof! The next morning you can imagine my brother's excitement when he went outside to see what santa left for him :)

I was about 6 when I became truly "clever" about my Santa hunt. I left out the typical: cookies and milk. The next morning when I woke up, I saw that indeed Santa had been in my house! He also left one cookie half eaten. About 5 minutes later, during breakfast, I started to compare bite size to everyone in my family. I mean everyone including all of my grandparents, all of my aunt's and uncles. Within 10 minutes I completed my Santa hunt. Santa was my Dad. In hopes to try and save my belief in Santa my dad stole the cookie which started a whole new chunt.

I believed until I was about ten. My dad will still insist Santa is real in the "Yes, Virginia" sense, and both he and my mom went to great lengths to keep me believing when I was little. The wrapping paper from Santa's gifts was always different from the other presents, as was the handwriting on the labels. And despite my best efforts to snoop, I never found a single present before Christmas day.It was a lot of fun and I'm glad they went through all the trouble to make Christmas magical for me.

Definitely! We left out cookies and cognac for Santa (the cognac was Dad's idea, of course) and carrots for the reindeer. My sister's bedroom window looked out over a section of roof, and Christmas morning we could look out and see half-eaten carrots!

Well, I remember that I *hoped* that Santa existed as of at least age 8. I remember sitting on the upstairs stairs, hoping to hear Santa's reindeer on the roof. That said, I had already noted at least two years before that Santa's name was printed on gift tags in my mom's very distinctive handwriting. I think the thing is that I'm a person who more than anything *wants* to believe in a lot of things (even though I do math for a living :)). Magic does a person good.

Second comment...sorry! One very funny thing that my step-father did to convince my little brother of the "magic" of Christmas was a to "grow" a stocking in his closet. I can't remember exactly how old he was - maybe four? - but my step-father put a tiny stocking in my brother's closet in December and then every few days would replace it with a bigger one, in preparation for Christmas. We had fun with it. I suppose we were a crazy family, however, as I used to actually dress up as the Easter bunny and hop down the road with a basket of treats for said little brother (8.75 years junior), until I was about twelve or thirteen. :)

I believed in Santa until I was maybe 9 or 10. By then, a lot of kids at school didn't believe in him anymore, and they were always trying to convince me that he wasn't real. I was so resolute in my belief, I didn't care about anything they said. My dad accidentally spilled the beans when he talked about buying one of my presents... which had come from Santa! I was so mad at him, and for a few Christmases afterwards I just didn't feel the magic of the holidays. Now I love the holidays even more than before, and the magic is definitely back!

I believed in Santa until I was 12! I think I knew but I didn't want to admit it to myself. My older brother and sister played along so that made it seem much more believable. We left out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. My mom used all different wrapping paper and even a different handwriting. To this day I love the magic of Christmas and I can't wait to do the whole Santa thing when I have kids.

One super cute thing we did was my siblings and I all slept in the same room on Christmas eve. My sister always tried to convince me that she could hear sleigh bells on the roof and I swore I could hear them too. My mom later confessed that this was to keep us from sneaking out and peaking at the tree. We were told that if Santa saw one of us he would leave immediately so none of us let any of the others leave the room (VERY clever plan on my mom's part!)

I actually never believed in Santa Clause. My mom didn't want to lie to me so she told me about St. Nicholas.

Apparently when I was about 3 years old a little old lady came up to me in the grocery store and asked,"what is santa going to bring you for Christmas?"I looked right up her and said innocently, and quite frankly, "Santa's dead lady."My mom said the woman gave her a disapproving glance and walked away.

I first found out about the easter bunny when I was about 8 when i saw a picture i had colored him in my parents desk drawer... I didn't tell them for 2 years because I knew I would get more presents at Christmas. What a bad child lol

I believed in Santa Claus until I was 10, and then my Mom sat me down and gave me the talk that spring. She let me have one last magical Christmas and one last Easter Bunny before she figured out that I was perhaps becoming a social pariah for holding out so long (I was obstinate).

A year later, she sat me down - same couch, same sober tone - to give me the sex talk (!!!).

The secret to Santa is a clever mommy who knows how to make Santa seem somewhat vulnerable: "He doesn't know that the baby's no longer on purees! Poor Santa wasted all these jarred Gerbers on us!"

My sister told me when I was 3. But we didn't tell my parents I knew until the next year... we thought we'd get more presents that way. My mom said something about Santa when I was 4 and I said, "Mom, there is no Santa..."

I believed until I was ten or so-- maybe not entirely, though... I've four younger siblings, and when I was 10 my littlest sister was born. She believed until she was 11 (she's 12, now). I took a certain pride in being a GOOD SISTER and never revealing the 'truth' to my siblings; I wanted all of them to have the magical Christmases that I had.

So, even though no one *believes* anymore, we still leave out cookies for Santa and pretend like he's coming. Christmas isn't the same without him. One of my sisters, she's 19, is pregnant and due in May- I'd be lying if one of the main reasons I'm excited is that our Christmases will be magical again. :)

Santa was never responsible for bringing all of the presents - there were plenty from my parents and a few supplemented by Santa. I don't remember when I found out - probably around 5 - but I don't remember feeling disappointed. I liked thanking my parents for presents. I'm not sure if it's something I'd want to do with my own kids, but I suppose they'd feel left out if they weren't led to believe in him!

However, looking back it's pretty funny that I was encouraged to leave out a glass of sherry & chocolate biscuits for 'Santa' :)

i believed in Santa until i was 7 or 8, but i remember my dad always telling me that if im not going to bed and fall asleep fast, Santa will see that and he will not come. :))and i was so scared i wont get any presents, that i was falling asleep on command :)and i have to mention i was living in an appartment building with no fire place or chimney! :)i miss those times... and i miss my parents too... RIP

I believed in him for longer than I should have. But being the oldest kid in the family my parent did'nt want me to spill the secret on my brother and cousin. But now that i think of it, that story about Santa coming through the heater fuel tank was really awful dad !

This is great!Every Christmas eve when i was younger, my brother and I would leave a mince pie and a carrot (for rudolph) by the fire place. Every Christmas morning the mince pie would be gone, and there'd be a big bite out of the carrot. As we started to get to the age where slight doubt about Santa set in, my Grandfather persuaded us that rudolph now preferred turnips to carrots, so we started leaving them out. Sure enough on Christmas morning there would be a somewhat smaller nibble taken out of the turnip, and my Grandfather would giggle cruelly at my Dad, who had played the part of rudolph all these years.

i think i was 9 or 10 when i found out and i was devastated. i was fairly innocent and sheltered, plus my parents really did some good set ups (hanging the presents outside my window - we didn't have a chimney). i was bitter for a while, but now i really appreciate it. my son is almost 3 and i am trying to think of clever ideas for him!

I don't remember when I stopped believing, but I'm trying my hardest to make my kids believe. My daughter is fourteen, and I'm pretttty sure she doesn't believe anymore, but she'd never admit it, and goes along with me when I talk about Santa. My youngest is eight, and he believes, but will say things like, "Why do some people not believe in Santa?"-- testing me, maybe. My middle child will be twelve next week, and he believes in Santa with all his heart. Same goes for the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. I try to make it easier to believe-- different wrapping paper on the "Santa" gifts, his handwriting is very different from mine, and he uses a different color pen.

I'm like Allison, my parents always told my brother and I that Santa wasn't real. We're Christians, and they didn't want Santa to become the meaning of Christmas for us. My mom also didn't like the idea of lying to my brother and me -- she didn't want to betray our trust at a young age, lol. They always reminded us that other children believed so we never outed the secret!I don't think not believing in Santa took away the magic of Christmas at all, though. It's always been my favorite holiday and my friends know me as the "Christmas girl". Christmas music in October, anyone?

Last week my three year old niece sagely responded to my sister's mention of Santa by saying, "Mum, Santa is only in your imagination" as if she were a complete lunatic for mentioning him. My sister has no idea when this discovery took place but it certainly hasn't dampened any of her christmas spirit!

My mother told me when I was in second or third grade. I was getting more and more excited about Santa and she just said "you know santa isn't real, right?" I tried to play it cool but she really burst my bubble! I will never do that to my kids!!

I never believed in him. Even when I was a very young child. My reasoning was, how on earth can a sleigh and reindeer fly? It was impossible. Still loved the Christmas season though.To my girls, I don't tell them that he's real, but I don't stop them from wanting to take pictures with him at the mall, or from getting excited about seeing him. I'll sneak presents under the tree on Christmas Eve though. :)

Wait, Santa's not real? I definitely believed as a child and left out cookies and a note for Santa and carrots for the reindeer too.

I discovered he wasn't real when some kids at school suggested he might not be. I went home and asked my grandpa (who came around the school dressed as Santa) if he was real and he gave he the truth straight up. ouch!

I believed in Santa until I was 5, when my bipolar mother decided to yell at me, 'There IS NO SANTA!' in response to me questioning his existence endless times... I proceded to run to my teenage sister who was getting ready in the bathroom and she comforted me. Result: some good ol' sisterly bonding.

In Europe we don't really have a Santa, or at least not when I was little! We had an equivalent, a child in form of an angel that flies through your window and brings you the presents. I totally believed my parents, until my bigger brother just told me one christmas, that actually is mam and dad putting all the gifts under the tree! gosh, i was devastated! a world with no flying angels???? i didn't like it!

I do love Santa and found a way to believe into the preteen years, stunting my own growth.More desperately, It all came crashing down here in our home when watching family videos of Christmas gone by, my sone shouted out: "See! It was you all along!"He was pointing out a gift tag on his bike when he was 4 with my handwriting. His younger sister pretended not to listen.Rats. But we'll leave cookies out anyway.

I did believe in Santa. I cannot quite recall the year I stopped believing. I always left cookies, milk and a note. It was such a fun night of the year, Christmas Eve. I still remember the excitement and anticipation. Although, I still feel giddy and excited for Christmas. It's a nice time spent with family.

My 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Winburne (ugh, horrible) spilled the beans when she started a lesson on holiday traditions in other countries with "Now, none of you believe in Santa still, right?" My mom was pretty upset, but I kind of always knew. My favorite Santa memory though was when I was little we would fly up from Texas to visit my grandparents in Maryland. My first gift every year was the Christmas tree, which Santa would hide in the woods behind my grandparents' house. We'd have to go trekking to find the tree with the great big red bow on it and it was always to Krysten, with love from Santa.

I loved this idea so much I wrote and credit you on my post today. Thank you. I grew up celebrating Three Kings Day, a Spanish tradition. But it's nice to believe in the magic of Christmas. Happy Holidays!

People are often shocked when I tell my story. We were staying at a house with no chimney and I didn't know how santa could come in without leaving a door unlocked for strangers to also come in. I was only four when my parents told me santa wasn't real. The truth is that my parents never introduced me to santa; it was relatives and other parents from a play group.

when i was in 3rd grade, a classmate told me that santa was not real. to prove him wrong, i wrote santa a letter asking for certain toys. christmas morning i opened my presents from santa, but nothing i requested was under the tree. my parents kept telling me that santa couldn't read english and i should have written the letter in korean (just like my parents).

I can not remember when I stopped believing in Santa but I do remember the day I realized the Santa that came in through our front door when I was about 5 years old was actually my dad. I was in my 20's and I was looking through my mom's old photos of us and recognized my dad behind the big white beard. ha!

I was 9 when i left my door opend a crack my older brother told me he saw them the year before lets just say once he sees something he says its true so he said santa wasent real at 10 i to this day my 18 christmas i have never told my mom i know. Christmas has kind. Of lost its magic as i have gotten older and the olny thing making it fun is the " game where i know and. I sneek in to the room wit tho tree (right by my room befor waking people upnand i leave there presentf out then) pretending to still belive is whats kept me from being upset after loseing my dad 4 days after my 11 birthday. So its easyer to pretend